How I Became a Human Rights Lawyer

Maran Turner

“I urge everyone to not to turn away from the screen when you see violent images and unrest in other countries, but to embrace far-off challenges as if they were in your own community.”

In this personal talk, Maran shares her story from small town girl in the US to becoming a leading international human rights lawyer. Maran Turner is the Executive Director of Freedom Now, an organization that works to free individual prisoners of conscience through focused legal, political and public relations advocacy efforts.

Maran Turner

Executive Director of Freedom Now

Maran is executive director of Freedom Now, an organization that works to free individual prisoners of conscience through focused legal, political and public relations advocacy efforts. Prior to joining Freedom Now, she was a lawyer with the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) in Johannesburg, South Africa, where worked with Southern African jurists on human rights litigation. She had also been an associate with DLA Piper LLP (US) where she was honored as Pro Bono Attorney of the Year for her international human rights work representing notable human rights defenders such as former Czech Republic President Václav Havel and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Desmond Tutu.

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